Bobbin stripper



March 16, 1943. H. R. TURNER 2,313,785@

BOBBIN STRIPPER Filed ne. 28, 19:58 e sheets-sheet 1 March 16, 1943. l H, R, TURNER 2,313,785 r BOBBIN STRIPPER HA nous Tun/VER (Lad-K ,March 16, 1943. R, R, TURNER y 2,313,785

B01513111 STRIPPER i Filed Dec. 2B, 1938 e sheets-sheet 5 \//l 4 HA'ffoLp, f?. TQR/VER Mueble 1943' H. R. TURNER 2,313,785

. BoBBIN's'rRIrPEn I Filed Deo. 2.8, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED` STATES PATENT OFFICE BOBBIN STRIPPER Harold R. Turner, Greenville, S. C. Application December 28, 1938, Serial No. 248,025

12 Claims.

'I'he present invention relates to bobbin strippers, and has as its object the provision of improved means for stripping olf the waste yarn left on the bobbins expelled fromautomatic looms. In particular, the invention aims to provide an improved and simplified machine for stripping such waste yarn from the weft bobbins used in weaving silk and rayon. In stripping these bobbins, the usual procedure of mechanically scraping or cutting the waste yarn from their yarnbearing portions cannot be employed, as any roughening, scratching, or chipping of thepolished or enamelled yarn-bearing surfaces would result in fracture of these delicate yarns during subsequent use of the bobbins in weaving. As heretofore in certain instances, resort is had to the use of jets of compressed air to free the ends [of yarn from the wound masses of waste remaining on' the respective bobbins, the freed ends being thereafter engaged by rotating unwinding rolls which quickly draw o the rest of the yarn from each bobbin over the tip thereof.

In accordance with the novel features of the invention, the waste bearing bobbins to be stripped are fed continuously through air jets by means of a plurality of iingers'preferably traveling in a closed path which engage the head ends of the bobbins to propel the latter along a path and through the air jets in pendent 'tip downward relation. These fingers do not need to engage the head end of each and every bobbin, as by pushing onward an occasional bobbin in the series those bobbins which precede the one thus engaged are likewise impelled onward each through the push of the bobbin immediately following it. These feeding fingers may be made to travel either in a circular path about a vertical or horizontal axis, as by mounting them on a wheel, or in paths of other shapes, as by mounting them on a belt. Further, in accordance with the invention, the compressed air used to free the ends of yarn is delivered through ports or passages formed directly in the spaced tracks which support the bobbins through engagement with opposite sides of their heads or of the rings on such heads in pendent relation for sliding movement along the path thus defined and thus these jets may be made to impinge on the yarn-bearing barrels of the bobbins clear up to the junction of such Ibarrels with the heads of the bobbins, while these air jets still retain their obliquely downward relation needed to blow the ends downward toward the tips of the bobbins; in prior structures, the necessary diameter of the perforated air pipes always used as combined conduits and nozzles made it impossible Vto include the upper zone of the wound mass adjacent the fillet and the head within the course of these jets, so that occasional ends of yarn terminating in this zone and adhering to the wound mass failed to be freed, and thus the bobbin failed to be stripped. Additionally, the jets are in staggered relation along the path of the bobbins.

As a further feature of the invention, the opposed unwinding rolls are made in the form of slatted reels which intersect each others orbit of rotation, so that an end of yarn entering between them will be positively engaged by the outer surfaces of these rolls without the need for mounting the latter in accurate tangential relation; while the slats of these reels may be clad with brushes, as hitherto, in order to ensure unwinding engagement with the ends of yarn, the reels will preferably be covered with removable cloth sleeves which will present the necessary character of surface to cause the yarns to adhere thereto and. also permit of their being easily slipped offendwise from the reels rst to get the accumulated waste off of the reels and second to permit easy removal of such waste from the collapsed sleeve.

An additional feature of the invention is a sliding cutter for slitting open the wound mass of waste collecting on the brush-clad reels when the sleeves are not used, this cutter cutting open the wound mass .of waste yarn lengthwise of the reels with convenience and dispatch for removal of the waste from the reels.

Other aims of the invention, and the manner of their attainment are as will be made plain hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 aplan View, of a machine embodying the features of the in- Vention, a portion at midlength being omitted for convenience in illustration.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are details, in side elevation and in plan respectively, of the novel bobbin-feeding lingers when arranged to travel in a circular path to a vertical axis.

" in section showing the application of the sliding cutter to cooperate with a reel having its periphery formed of brush-clad slats.

Fig. 9 is a View looking obliquely downward in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 8, showing the parts illustrated in such figure.

The machine embodying the invention cornprises a pair of tracks I disposed in horizontal and parallel relation, each of which is mounted on and supported by one of a pair of framemembers 3 also arranged in spaced and parallel relation and supported by uprightsy of the frame. The. tracks I areI spaced apart just far enough to engage the heads, or preferably the steel rings 2 on the heads, of bobbins 4 dropped down tip foremost through the space between the opposing rails, so that these bobbins are supported by their head ends in pendent tip downward relation for free sliding movement along the path dened by the two trackswith the entire yarn-bearing portions or barrels of the bobbins, and the tips as well, free from all contact with parts of the, machine.

As heretofore in certain instances, compressed air is blown against the portions of the barrels of they bobbins on which the feeler waste remains, to free the4 outer end of the yarn from the wound mass and blow' it downward, along with a certain portion of the immediately following turns of waste yarn, so that this end just freed may be mechanically engaged and drawn oi to strip the bobbin completely. In accord-ance with the invention,v the tracks ly are provided with transverse air passages I to which air is supplied under pressure from any suitable source` of compressed air through pipe 9, manifold I I, and laterals I3., These transverse passages terminate in downwardly inclinedv discharge orifices I5` from which jets of air are discharged obliquely downwardly aty an angle of about 60 to the vertical against the yarn-bearing. portions of the bobbins as' the latterv are slid in pendent relation along the tracks I. Byy putting; the discharge nozzles I5 right in the tracks I it is possible to subject the uppermost end of the barrel of the bobbin and even' the llet itself joining the head and barrel to the action of the air jets while still giving such jets the necessary downward component of travel needed to carry the yarn down over the tip of the bobbin. Thus when the outer end of the wound mass of yarn happens to lie right at the llet it will not as sometimes vheretofore escape being freed and blown downward into range of theV mechanical unwinding devices. It is also to be noted that the successive lnozzles I5 on opposite, sides of the path of the bobbins, are arranged in staggered or alternating relation and not directly opposite each other, as indicated by the position of the lateral air pipes I3 in Fig. 2'. This results in each bobbin receiving blasts of air from alternating sides as it proceeds along the tracks, an action which has been found more effective in loosening the ends of yarn than where opposing jets are simultaneously directed against the bobbin from opposite sides.

To engage the ends of yarn thus blown down and trailinggoi from the tip ends of the pendent bobbins, Fa pair of opposed rolls or reels I6 is employed with their axes horizontal and parallel and their peripheries opposed to each other along a horizontal line in the vertical plane of movement of the bobbin axes, as hitherto. However, as distinct from prior forms, these reels rotate on axes which are spaced apart a distance less than the sum of the radii of the two reels, and

are geared together so that when rotated in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4 the slats I1 of one reel will intersect the orbit of the corresponding slats of the other reel entering between such slats, thus insuring that any trailing end of yarn dropping between the concurrent surfaces of the two rolls will be brought forcibly into contact with the surfaces of the rolls, without need for the careful setting of the roll surfaces hitherto necessary in order to insure engagement, and, most of all, providing for the increase in the effective diameter of the rolls as the waste yarn accumulates thereon without need to provide special yielding mountings for their shafts in order to prevent jamming or breakage. The slats I'I may be simply clad with brushes as in. Figs. 8 and 9, or pile fabric to engage the trailing ends of yarn; but preferably the slats. of each reel I6 will be bare and smooth,

and over them will be drawn a tube or sleeve I9 of pile fabric such as corduroy, adapted to be slipped off endwise from the reel after it has become loadedV with windingsr of waste yarn, so that a new and unencumbered sleeve may be quickly slipped on to take its place. To provide for this quickly effected clearing of the winding rolls,

they are mounted in the frame with capacity for quick and easy unstepping and replacement. Thus, there is a member 20, Fig. 1, at one end of each reel having a reduced extremity 2I which enters the sleeve 23 at one end of each reel IlB and thus supports this end of' the reel during its rotation. The member 29 is held in bracketl affixed to frame-upright 5 with capacity for end- Wise Withdrawal by handle 21 upon release of thumb screw 29, whereupon the proximate end of reel I6 is released. The other end' of each reel' is mounted on rotating jack-shaft 3|, the reel being driven therefrom by means of engagement of a dog on collar 33 rotating with jack-shaft `3I within a corresponding notch in sleeve 34 fixed on the reel. This arrangement provides for easy unstepping and replacement of this end of the reel also.

In accordance with the invention novel means is provided for feeding a continuous series of bobbins steadily along tracks I while subjected during a substantial period of time to the action of the end-freeing blasts and unwinding rolls. This novel feeding mechanism comprises essentially a plurality of feeding lingers, traveling in a closed path, which engage the head ends of the bobbins above the tracks I, usually making contact. with the steel rings on such heads. In the form of Figs. l to 6, these fingers 35 travel in a circular path in a horizontal orbit which intersects the path of the bobbin heads as the bobbins are slid along the tracks I, being pivotally mounted on a rotating support which here comprises a flanged wheel 31 rotatably mounted on a stud 39 fixed in frame-member 3, the flange of wheel 3l being cut away at appropriate spaced intervals as indicated at 4I to permit the fingers 35 to protrude well beyond the rim thereof. The fingers 35 are pivotally mounted on bolts 43 put through the top surface of wheel 3l, and each is yieldingly held in radial position against one end cf the cut il in the ange, by means of expanding coil springs 45 pressing sidewise against the inner end of each nger and supported by abutments lll within the flange. As shown in Fig. 6, these fingers thus reach into the path of the bobbins sliding along between tracks i engaging the head of any bobbin within their range and pushing such bobbin a few inches' onward along the tracks. As the operator of the machine is continuously arranging the bobbins dumped at random into hopper 49 at the feed end of the machine so that they will hang by their heads from the tracks I, and pushing them along the tracks into range of the fingers 35, the fingers 35 keep advancing one, two or more of the bobbins at the head of the line thus fed to them by hand by an amount equalling the scope of f their movement over the space between tracks I, each bobbin 'thus propelled transmitting its forward movement to those which have preceded it, while the whole remaining length of the tracks I is occupied by a continuous procession of bobbins which is .being moved step by step along the tracks and through the air blasts by the push of the following bobbins. In case the procession should become jammedat any point `beyond the feeding fingers, the yielding mounting of such fingers permits them to swing far enough out of their normal radial relation to snap by the bobbin heads without damage.

Usually a plurality of these driving units comprising the traveling fingers and their supporting wheels will be distributed along the length of tracks I, to lighten the load on any one of such units in propelling a lengthy procession of bobbins. In this connection, it is noted that the longer the unwinding rolls and the stretch of track throughout which compressed ai1` jets are administered to the bobbins, the higher the number of bobbins cleaned per minute; for a machine of an over-all length of six feet and an output of ninety bobbins per minute two feeding units such as described are found adequate.

To drive the feeding fingers, a worm gear 5| is fixed to each wheel 31, and is driven by a worm 53 fixed on shaft 55 between bearings 51 on a bracket 59 xed on frame-member 3.

This shaft 55 is driven through bevel gears 6I, 63, Fig. 3, from an upright shaft 65 driven through bevel gears 61, 69, from transverse shaft 1I rotated by V-pulley 'I3 and V-belt 'I5 from any suitable or desired source of power (not shown). A second upright shaft 11 is also driven from transverse shaft 1I through bevel gears 19, 8|. Beve] pinions 83 on each of the upright shafts G5, 11, drive large bevel gears 85 in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows thereon, these gears 85 being fixed on jack-shafts 3| previously explained as driving the respective winding rolls or reels I5. These shafts and gears are enclosed within gear-case 81, with the exception of gears 6|, 63, which have their own housing 89 on top of gear-case 81. A passage for the bobbins is provided through the top center of gear-case 81, a trough-shaped shield 9| being carried through the gear-case to protect the bobbins from thrown oil. Hinged covers (not shown) are commonly provided to enclose and guard the rotating winding rolls I6, a stationary bottom being also provided beneath the rolls to catch falling waste.

ToA prevent the bobbin heads from riding up away from tracks I as they are being propelled onward along the tracks by the push of the following bobbins, a head-guide 93 is suspended over the space between the tracks and slightly above the bobbin heads by means of arches 95 fixed on the tracks at spaced intervals therealong. The extremity of the head guide which is toward the feed end ofthe machine terminates at the point where the procession of bobbins is first subjected to the push of the first feeding device, namely abreast 4of the axis of the first yguide-bar |91 proximate surface of gear-case bwhich cooperates with wheel 31; its under surface is beveled ofi to facilitate entrance of the bobbin heads thereunder.

It has been found desirable in certain instances, as in dealing with bobbins of different types, to mount the wheel 31 carrying the propelling ngers 35 on a horizontal axis as shown `in Fig. 7, so that the fingers 35 travel in a vertical orbit located in the plane of the axis of the pendent bobbins as they hang from the tracks I. This is easily accomplished by mounting the wheel 31 on a transverse shaft 91 and driving the wheel as before by a worm gear and worm from shaft 55.

The provisions of the invention for slitting open the wound mass of waste collecting on the reels in using the prior type of unwinding rolls having the slats I1 clad with brushes or bristles instead of employing the sleeves I9 described hereinbefore, is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 in connection with the reel corresponding to the right- Vhand reel shown in Fig. 4. Actually, one of these cutting ydevices is provided for each of the two reels, located in corresponding position with respect to each roll. This device slides on a mounted on the outward lateral surfaces of uprights 5 by means of brackets |09 bolted to the uprights, the guide-bar extending along and parallel to the periphery of the reel and being mounted in a simple step cut in the 81. The guidebar |01 is of rectangular section, mounted with one edge up as shown in Fig. 8, and with the face that is turned away from the reel provided with teeth to form a rack. On this guide-bar slides a carriage III fitting closely about three sides of the guide-bar; and having an extension reaching within the orbit of the ybrushclad slats I1 of the reel on which is mounted a triangular knife' H3 having sharp edges II5 a sharp-edged disk II'I fixed to a pinion I|9 rotating freely on a stud I2I in the carriage IIl, the pinion meshing with the rack to impart rotation to disk I I1 when the carriage is slid along the guide-bar |01 by means of the handle |23 to work the device. The reel `to be stripped is positioned so that the waste yarn |25 stretching from one slat I1 to the next adjacent Slat enters the angle between the fixed knife |I3 and the disk ||1 as the carriage is moved the full length of the reel along guide- .bar |91, the rack and pinion imparting a rotation to the disk which shears the windings and splits open the entire mass of waste wound on the reel along the line of travel of the sliding cutter, the waste then being easily drawn off laterally from the reel by hand in a bundle. Thereafter the cutter is restored to its idle resting position shown in Fig. 9, beyond the end of the reel at the feed end of the machine. As already indicated, there is a separate cutter for each of the two reels.

While I have illustrated and described certain forms in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particluar forms shown, o-r to the details of construction thereof, but what I do claim is:

l. A bobbin stripper having in combination spaced tracks supporting the bobbins by their head ends in pendent tip downward relation, means unwinding the waste yarn over the tips of the bobbins while thus suspended, and a bobbin-propelling element moving along the tracks engaging 'only one bobbin at a time and through such engagement propelling such bobbin and other preceding bobbins along the tracks for a few inches only and thereafter allowing all bobbins thus propelled to stand still while the yarn is being unwound over the tips of the bobbins.

2. A bobbin stripper having in combination spaced tracks supporting `the bobbins by their head ends in pendent tip downward relation, means delivering jets of compressed air against the yarn-bearing portions of the bobbins while thus supported, winding rolls beneath the bobbins engaging and `drawing off over the tips oi the bobbins the yarns of which the ends are freed by the air jets, and bobbin-propelling means moving along and over the tracks and engaging behind the heads of the bobbins and thus pushing forward the engaged bobbins and also those not directly engaged, through the air-jets and over the winding rolls for a short distance and thereafter allowing such bobbins to come to rest.

3. In a bobbin stripper, in combination, means supporting the waste-bearing bobbins with capacity for unwinding of the waste yarn therefrom, and opposed unwinding rolls engaging and unwinding the waste yarn from `the bobbins, each having salientk longitudinal portions and intervening portions of lesser radius, the rolls rotating concurrently and with the orbits of the salient portions of the rolls respectively intersecting each other.

4i. In a bobbin stripper, in combination, means supporting the waste-bearing bobbins with capacity for unwinding of the waste yarn therefrom, and a winding roll engaging and unwinding the waste yarn from the bobbins, comprising a tubular fabric cover and a longitudinallyslatted skeleton reel having no surfaces between its adjacent slats to support the cover, thus giving Vsuch cover ak polygonal shape in crosssection.

5. In a bobbin stripper, in combination, means supporting the waste-bearing bobbins with capacity for unwinding of the waste yarn therefrom, and opposed unwinding rolls engaging and unwinding the waste Vyarn from the bobbins, each roll comprising a longitudinally-slatted reel and a tubular cover thereover stretched in polygonal shape in cross-section by the reel, the rolls rotating concurrently on axes spaced apart less than the sum f the radii oi the cooperating rolls.

6. In a bobbin stripper, in combination, means supporting the waste-bearing bobbins with capacity for unwinding of the waste yarn therefrom, and opposed unwinding rolls engaging and unwinding the waste yarn from the bobbins, each roll having its winding surface deiined by longitudinal slats intervening between and intersecting the orbit of the slats on the opposing rolls.

7. In a bobbin stripper, the combination with a winding reel winding off from the bobbins and onto its periphery the waste yarn to be removed, of a knife sliding lengthwise of the roll, and guide means outside the roll directing the knife in a path intersecting the windings of waste yarn on the roll.

8. In a bobbin stripper, the combination with a winding reel winding off from the bobbins and onto its periphery the waste yarn to be removed, of a guide member outside of and extending along the surface of the reel, a carriage traveling along the guide member, and opposed shearing members on the carriage traveling one inside and the other outside the windings of waste yarn on the reel as the carriage is moved along the guide member.

9. In a bobbin stripper, the combination with a winding'reelV winding off from the bobbins and onto its periphery the waste yarn to be removed, o a rack extending along the surface of the reel, a carriage sliding along the rack, a rotating cutter in geared engagement with such rack and rotated upon movement of the carriage along the rack, and a fixed blade entering inside the windings of waste yarn on the reel and against which the windings are cut by the cutter.

10. A bobbin stripper having in combination spaced tracks supporting the bobbins by their head ends in pendent tip downward relation, means unwinding the waste yarn over the tips of the bobbins while thus suspended, a hub'rotating about an axis alongside and transverse to the tracks, and iingers projecting from such hub engaging and propelling bobbins `along the tracks, such fingers being mounted on the hub with capacity for yielding movement with respect to the hub.

ll. A bobbin stripper having inV combination spaced tracks supporting the bobbins by their head ends in pendent tip downward relation, means unwinding the waste yarn over the tips of the bobbinsv while thus suspended, a hub rotating about an axis alongside and transverse to the tracks, and iingers projecting from such hub engaging and propelling bobbins along the tracks, such iingers being mounted on the hub far enough apart to admit a plurality of bobbins at a time between two successive ngers.

' 12. A bobbin stripper having in combination spaced tracks supporting the'bobbins by their head ends in pendent tip downward relation, means unwinding the waste yarn over the tips of the bobbins while thus suspended, a rotating hub with yielding ngers protruding therefrom to engage and propel bobbinsalong the tracks during such unwinding, and second rotating hub with yielding fingers receiving the bobbins from the rst and assuming the propelling function with respect to the bobbins fed to it by the rst.

HAROLD R. TURNER. 

